


A Brief Reprieve

by Burnadette_dpdl



Category: Vampire Chronicles - All Media Types, Vampire Chronicles - Anne Rice
Genre: Fluff, Fluff and Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-14
Updated: 2016-06-14
Packaged: 2018-07-15 02:41:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 985
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7202993
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Burnadette_dpdl/pseuds/Burnadette_dpdl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the events of <i>Prince Lestat,</i> Lestat reflects on certain aspects of his new spirit animal, snuggled up lovingly with Armand by a fire in winter. Slightly AU in that they are snuggled up together lovingly by a fire in winter!</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Brief Reprieve

**Author's Note:**

> Anon asked for Armand/Lestat based on the line: **“What can I do to make you love me?” he whispered.**
> 
> Anon said: **"I just want Lestat to reciprocate the love of Armand, can you imagine them together as lovers through the time? I sure can. Thank you, Burnadette!"**
> 
> Hope this satisfies you! I tried to give you what you asked for, but to really make this ship work, I would need to write SO much more, since it is a tough ship to ship, with neither of them really willing to /completely/ overlook or forgive their past behavior towards each other, but this is a step in the right direction.

_"What can I do to make you love me?”_   He whispered.  

"Are you kidding me? I do love you!" I scoffed, planting a little kiss on top of his head. "You want a certificate? Want it engraved on a plaque?" I said, nosing into his hair. 

"Be serious, Lestat." 

"I'm dead serious. _Undead_ serious." I laughed, leaning back and pulling him to lay back against me.  

Armand gazed up at me in silence, a soft smile on his face, then looked back at the fire. What did he want from me? We had just spent the entire evening together, killed together, and then curled up together in front of a roaring blaze as the snow fell outside the window. He felt good in my arms, all collected up and warm. What could be better? Aside from the throbbing pain in my head. That left something to be desired.

"How does it feel right now?" He said. He stared at the fire. 

"What?" 

"You know. Holding the Sacred Core." 

"Good Lord, don't call him that. It inflates his ego and I'll get a splitting headache."

"There isn't room enough for all that ego in there, is there?" Armand chuckled, tapping at my forehead. I took his hand and kissed the fingertips.

"Sometimes there really isn't." I sighed. It was true, Amel was my own permanent backseat driver. For now, he was murmuring to himself, but it was growing louder. Soon, he would want to be included in whatever I was doing. 

"Have you found anything that helps?" Armand twisted a little in my arms and looked up at me, little flecks of gold in his eyes, and it felt like genuine concern. "Anything I can do?" He stroked my arm, tight around his waist. 

In truth, we had already tried to have Armand plunge me into magnificent dreamscapes during an especially vigorous Amel tantrum, but it only disoriented the spirit, and he grew much worse. The pain of his anger had cut deep enough to render me catatonic on the floor again for two months, and when I awoke, I spent a few weeks alone, regaining Amel's trust in order to even allow Armand in our presence again. Even now, there was a shiver of tension whenever we were together. 

"You've already done much for me, hunting tonight. Feeding is good. Feeding distracts him, quiets him." I sighed again, settling deeper into the pillows. "And it felt good to have you with me." I gave him a squeeze. 

After a few more minutes of watching the crackling flames, Armand rolled around to lean on my chest, and lifted his chin. "Is the reverse true?" I felt his hands smooth against my chest.

"Reverse?"

"When someone is... feeding... on _you_." Did he flick his tongue out? Trick of the light. But his lips were a little wet, a little darker for the meal we had shared.

"Yes, that's- it's actually very effective..." I trailed off, my fingers in his amber curls. Unblinking, waiting. 

"Fair warning, you may see him. You may not like what you see." I said. Amel had become very possessive of me, and once, when David had taken blood from me, well... it hadn't gone well, and I let Armand know, let him see the memory, a naked David falling off the bed in absolute terror. It would have been completely hilarious if it wasn't so upsetting. 

"If you love me, _I'll take my chances._ " Armand whispered, his hand moving steadily up along my neck. The pressure in my head was increasing, the noise becoming a low, grinding, rumble. Amel stirring. 

"I do," I said in the most earnest way I could. Leave it at that.

Terrible things between us, all in the past. Terrible betrayals. _He killed her!_ My hands on his shoulders, holding him at bay, he couldn't escape my grip now if he wanted to. For a moment I thought of tossing him across the room. _He stole... he tricked you... so many times..._ It was only Amel whispering. 

"You should know that I regretted it. What I did to you." He said, tilting his head. In the dim light, he reminded me of a bouquet of flowers. That fragile.

_How could you forgive such crimes?_ Amel, quiet yourself. He's paid for it. We're even. I love him, I do. I can't say it out loud again, but he hears us, he knows.

"Please help me." I said quietly. It's not really begging if someone you love has offered first, is it? No shame in asking for, or accepting, a little relief from a great burden.

"Shhhh. No more words." The barest sliver of his eyes flashed as he leaned back, and I saw his fang as he pressed my wrist up to his lips. 

"No, you're too far away, come, take it from here..." I tugged him down to lie on top of me, I wanted his body melded to mine, I tucked his face into my neck. Bad enough that he would know I was doing it anyway, I didn't want him to _see_ me crying!

_Our king. My king._ Armand sent this to me reverently, and I had no energy to argue about the title. Sweet, his lips on my throat, so respectful, hardly making a difference when he opened the skin with his fangs, gently pulling out the vibrant liquid power. I had a vision of the wisps of smoke from a diffused candle, sure that it was his doing. _"Heavy is the head that wears the crown,"_ I mused, stroking him, as the relief coursed through me.

I felt the coiling inside, Amel anxious for a moment, thorns ready, and I relaxed myself more, convincing us both that this was welcome, this was good. Spreading out, Amel let himself feel the pleasurable effects along with me. I let the tears roll out then, cleansing and fresh. 


End file.
